Chloe, the terrier-poodle mix found severely beaten in Long Beach earlier this month, is recovering from leg surgery and went home from Long Beach Animal Emergency to a foster home on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. (Photo courtesy Long Beach Animal Emergency)

A crowd of well-wishers and TV news cameras gathered outside Long Beach Animal Emergency on Tuesday for the release of Chloe, a severely beaten dog who is recovering from leg surgery following her heart-wrenching rescue from a Long Beach dumpster.

“She’s a very sweet dog, despite everything that’s happened,” said Dr. Thomas Babcock, hospital administrator at Long Beach Animal Emergency, where Chloe underwent surgery for a fractured femur on Friday.

The Maltese-poodle-terrier mix, believed to be less than a year old, was also treated for skull and spinal fractures, he said. She’ll be back for check-ups in the next two months.

“She’s still got a long road to recovery and she’ll need at least six to eight weeks for those bones to heal,” Babcock said.

Chloe was found severely beaten and discarded in a bag of trash in a Long Beach dumpster on Dec. 8, 2018. Doctors are trying to save her left back leg, which was snapped in half, animal rescue volunteers said. (Photo courtesy Diana Kliche)

Chloe was found severely beaten and discarded in a bag of trash in a Long Beach dumpster on Dec. 8, 2018. Doctors are trying to save her left back leg, which was snapped in half, animal rescue volunteers said. (Photo courtesy Diana Kliche)

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Chloe was found severely beaten and discarded in a bag of trash in a Long Beach dumpster on Dec. 8, 2018. Doctors are trying to save her left back leg, which was snapped in half, animal rescue volunteers said. (Photo courtesy Diana Kliche)

Chloe, the terrier-poodle mix found severely beaten in Long Beach earlier this month, is recovering from leg surgery and went home from Long Beach Animal Emergency to a foster home on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. (Photo courtesy Long Beach Animal Emergency)

An X-ray from the leg surgery for Chloe. (Courtesy Long Beach Animal Emergency)

An X-ray from the leg surgery for Chloe. (Courtesy Long Beach Animal Emergency)

Chloe was released to a foster parent with 20 years of experience fostering dogs with medical needs, said Diana Kliche of Fix Long Beach Pets and Animals, a rescue group that rushed Chloe to treatment after she was discovered in the 1000 block of Walnut Avenue Dec. 8.

The small dog was found whimpering in a trash bag with multiple bruises and covered with human urine and rancid food scraps. Her story gained media attention across Southern California.

“I’ve been practicing emergency medicine for over 12 years and this is certainly one of the most severe cases of abuse that I’ve ever seen,” Babcock said.

Despite the abuse, Chloe is friendly, unafraid of humans and never tried to bite anyone during her stay at the hospital, he said.

With Sparky and the Gang Animal Rescue and Orange County-based Just Food for Dogs, Fix Long Beach has raised more than $15,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Chloe’s abuser. Anyone with information was urged to call Long Beach Animal Care Services at 562-570-7387.

Kliche said additional donations have already covered Chloe’s veterinary bills, but the groups are still accepting contributions for her recovery, which includes physical therapy.

Someone sent in a prayer blanket for the dog, which she went home with, Kliche said.

She said Chloe won’t be put up for adoption for another three months or so, but encouraged anyone interested or inspired to adopt from a local shelter.

Megan Barnes covers crime and public safety for the Press-Telegram. She was previously a city reporter at the Daily Breeze, where she covered the South Bay beach cities and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Before that, she was a freelancer writing about LGBT news and her hometown of San Pedro, where she probably made your latte at Starbucks. She loves iced Americanos and Radiohead and finally got to see them live on the A Moon Shaped Pool tour. It was magical.

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